


The Bracelet

by earthphoenix (roughknuckles)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bodyswap, Crying, F/M, Fake Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Kissing, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-30
Updated: 2006-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-17 12:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1387822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roughknuckles/pseuds/earthphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tonks unknowingly gives Sirius and Remus what they want most.</p>
<p>In a way, explains Remus's sudden affection and love for Tonks after Sirius dies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bracelet

Though Molly was convinced that Remus Lupin should stay among friends, the werewolf had very different ideas. He wanted to be left alone. Period. Crying was very personal for him, only Sirius had ever seen him cry and now ... Now he wasn't even sure that Sirius Black would get even a marker or headstone. Sure, there was no body ... but Remus needed something symbolic that he could visit. Something that he could talk to.

Remus just sat in his bedroom, looking out the window, for hours. The sun came up, the sun went down. Hours. Just ... lost.  
  
There was a soft knock at the door, "Professor?" Harry shifted from foot to foot. He'd been sent up by Molly to convince Remus to come downstairs for dinner, the first that everyone would be "home" for since the battle more than a week ago.  
  
 _Poor Harry ..._ Remus thought for a moment, setting aside his own sorrows. Sirius had been the closest thing he had to family ... and as Molly was probably banking on, Remus got up, unlocked and answered the door only for Harry Potter. His voice was strained as he used it for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, "I'm not you're professor any more, nevertheless, what is it Harry?"  
  
Harry looked tired, worn down "Sorry," he mumbled, "Um ... Remus-" he looked up for a second and then down again, "Mrs. Weasley wants everyone at dinner, so I got sent up." His scar stood out sharply, deep red against his almost wax-white skin.  
  
Remus took a breath, "And what do you want Harry?"  
  
Harry sighed with not a small amount of bitterness, "I want to go back to bed."  
  
Remus nodded his understanding. He was not a particularly good role model for Harry when it came to dealing with recent events. As Remus just wanted to curl up in bed and remain their for all time as well. He could not offer words of comfort, he had none for himself, he could not even spout gryffindor rhetoric of confronting problems, "Then why don't you. And I will tell Molly you have retired early for the evening."  
  
Harry looked up, surprised and relieved, "Really?"  
  
"Yes. Just promise me you'll eat something eventually, sneak it if you must ..." Though Remus was hardly one to talk about eating.  
  
Harry mumbled a thank you and turned, hurrying back to his room and shutting the door for his private collapse.  
  
No sense in them both being somewhere they didn't want to be. Closing his door behind him, Remus headed down the stairs, slowly as to not lose his balance and fall.  
  
Everyone else was already in the kitchen, the talk was subdued, quiet and all but stopped when Remus walked in. "Remus, good to see you up and around finally," Molly smiled and poured tea in a hurry while Hermione and Ron moved to make room for the werewolf on the bench.  
  
Remus just nodded, he wasn't sure what was worse. Everyone _not_ talking, but thinking about it, or talking about it, trying not to really think about it. He sat, "Thank you." he said to both Ron and Hermione as they moved.  
  
Hagrid was sitting on two chairs at the end of the table, Moody was standing, Ginny and Fleur were helping Molly with the dinner, Dumbledore was looking into the fire, deep in thought and Tonks, finally discharged from the hospital, was staring at Remus when he wasn't looking. She looked pale, her usually pink hair long and dark, hanging down to her shoulders, with dark circles under her eyes.  
  
Dumbledore was first to speak to Remus, "I assume Harry has returned to bed?"  
  
"Yes. I gave him permission to do so." Remus would defend his decision and right to make it if he must, but assumed no one would bother.  
  
Dumbledore nodded, summoning the cup of tea for Remus and putting it on the table, "I was hoping that would happen, tea?"  
  
Remus looked to Albus, finally looking upon someone's face directly, "Thank you." The werewolf said gently.  
  
Albus offered a gentle smile. Almost everyone had gone back to their usual conversations as Molly and Ginny set the dishes on the table. The Weasley boys moved and Molly sighed, "Boys! Sit down! Other people need to eat too, have any of you washed your hands!? Go, Fred, George, Ron ... Ronald, RONALD!" Ron looked finally, "Wash up." They all meandered out slowly, grumbling and everyone else dished up some food. Tonks just shook her head when it was offered, evidently not up to it.  
  
Molly set a plate of food before Remus and left it there, not taking no for an answer, "Eat Remus."  
  
Remus however just fingered his fork, the world's problems couldn't be solved by a meal ... even if it were a chocolate meal. Still ... at least he was toying with the idea, as he held his fork.  
  
The Weasley boys filed back in and everyone ate, talking softly. A somber mood was still heavy on the house, as though the funeral was in instalments, drawn out interminably.  
  
Tonks seemed to withdraw even further, especially in contrast to her previous cheerful disposition.  
  
Remus put down his fork. Drinking his tea instead. _One thing at a time_. No sense in shocking his system. He drank, it was soothing, comforting ... at least, a little, just enough.  
  
Dumbledore looked down the table to her, "Nymphadora?" She didn't look, as though she didn't hear her name. "Nymphadora?" she looked over and swallowed hard. Dumbledore offered some peas to her, "I'm sure you'd regain your strength much sooner if you'd eat with us, Molly's peas are excellent as usual."  
  
She looked somewhat horrified and shook her head again, "No, thanks really ... sorry, Molly ..."  
  
Remus sighed as he put down his cup and finally looked over to Tonks. He was meeting people's gaze, one at a time tonight. First Harry. Then Albus, now Tonks. Everyone at once was just ... too much. He couldn't smile, he didn't know if he would ever smile again, but he did offer her some of that hidden hope that he barely reserved for himself.  
  
Tonk's eyes widened and she stood up at the table so quickly that her hip collided with the table and sent her empty tea cup crashing to the floor, "Oh bloody he- sorry.. I'll ..." Hagrid shook his head, insisting he could clean it and Tonks mumbled something, leaving the room very quickly.  
  
Molly sighed, "The poor dear just hasn't been the same since ..." she swallowed her words, wiping her hands on a napkin, "I'll go check in on her ..." Molly followed.  
  
 _I just ... looked at her and she ... she just, panicked._ It took a great deal of willpower to Remus to stay seated and not just run off as well; embarrassed that he'd ever provoke such a reaction. He needed something to do, he needed Albus to let him go back to his work as a 'werewolf ambassador' and holy hell, get out of the house that still smelled of Sirius ... and yet secretly, he didn't want to leave, he wanted that smell to saturate him.  
  
Ron sighed, "Bloody Hell, what happened to her?" Hermione smacked him soundly on the back of the head, somehow around Remus's back.  
  
"She was injured, Ron." She shook her head, giving him a _SHUT UP NOW MORON_ , look.  
  
Ron just sighed, rolling his eyes, but keeping his mouth shut.

 

*               *               *

 

Remus had just sat at the table as the evening wore on, people came and went, Remus remained. He ate some once he was alone. Trailing his hands over the walls and banister familiarly, Remus began to walk back up stairs.  
  
Everyone was in bed, almost everyone. Someone was in Sirius's old room, going through the closet. A light spilled across the hall from Sirius's room, right next to Remus's.  
  
Remus walked as one who knew every speak of every floorboard, silent and undisturbing of the household. Curious, he thought that maybe the light had just been left on, maybe Harry had gone in there to be close to his godfather and forgot to turn off the light. So Remus opened the door with the intention of turning it off.  
  
A slight, short girl turned with a gasp, "Fuck!" She saw Remus and relaxed, "Christ, you scared me ..." Tonks was holding one of Sirius's shirts in her hands.  
  
"Tonks?" He said her name, just above a whisper, "What are you doing in here?"  
  
She blinked blankly, "I was just helping Molly pack ..." She folded the shirt, looking down, putting it on the bed which was made as it was almost never used by Sirius while he was alive.  
  
"Why are you doing this now? It's late ..." _don't ... please don't get rid of his things._  
  
"I can't sleep ..." she sat on the corner of the bed, looking at Remus, "How ... how are you doing?" A knotted red and black thread bracelet looped around her right wrist, they hadn't been able to remove it in the hospital.  
  
Remus didn't answer, just offered, "Did you want company?"  
  
She nodded, "Yeah ... yeah, sure ... sit down," she swallowed, "it's more your house than mine, isn't it? Do whatever you want ..." Tonks was rambling a little, eyes fixating on a pattern in the wall.  
  
Remus sat on the end of Sirius's bed, leaning against the bedpost and wrapping his fingers around it. "How are you recovering ... from your injury?"  
  
Tonks rubbed her face with a sigh, "Slow. Really bloody slow." She took a tense breath in, "I'm ... really sorry for ... your ... I mean everyone's ... "  
  
"You're everyone too Tonks ... but, thanks." _so many sorries,_ it was hard not to find them hallow.  
  
She nodded, quiet for some time, wiping her face before she asked, "Are you ... okay? I mean ... of course you're not, but were you hurt during everything? Were you hit?"  
  
Remus tried not to replay too much of that night, "Had some close ones, but ... no, I wasn't hit."  
  
She nodded, "Good ... that's good."  
  
"Just- there's a blue shirt in there, somewhere ... don't get rid of it please." He said abruptly.   
  
She held her breath and nodded, turning away and wiping her eyes again. "Sure." Tonks stood, pacing a little with crossed arms. "I have a deck of cards ..." _He loved the blue shirt._  
  
It was so unfair how Tonk's mannerisms were like Sirius's. It wasn't her fault, but, he couldn't _not_ stare. "Sure- though, I'm not much of a bluffer ... you're bound to win."  
  
She laughed and sniffed, looking around the room, patting her jeans pockets, "No, I ... I suck at this right now, don't worry." Her jacket was thrown in a corner on the floor, and she crossed, rooting through it and pulling out a new deck of muggle playing cards. "Okay ... you pick the game. No go fish."  
  
"Let's keep it simple ... how about Black Jack. I think I can manage to count ..."  
  
Tonks sat on the bed opposite Remus, Indian style, back against the post. She shuffled quickly, nodding, and dealt the cards, "Sounds good, I mean ... play up your strengths right?"  
  
Remus just pulled one leg up on the bed, tucking it under him while the other continued to dangle off the edge, he looked at his cards, _fourteen_ , "Hit me."  
  
Tonks laid another card down, "Note how I didn't smack you just there ..." She smiled a little, "I'm having manners right now."  
  
"Yes. Thank you." Remus, did the math, "stay." He waited for Tonks to decide if she wanted another card or not.  
  
Tonks looked at her cards, humming thoughtfully, "Ah ... hit me."

Remus took one of the top and overturned it for Tonks. "Crap. Okay, are you sticking?"  
  
Remus overturned his cards, "Nineteen, you?"  
  
Tonks shrugged, turning hers over, "Twenty five. Unless we're playing twenty-one hundred, I think you won."

"Yeah, no- 21 is just fine." Remus took up the deck and reshuffled before he dealt again. 

 

*               *               *

 

The sun was just starting to come up, Tonks was YAWNING but determined to keep her eyes open, "hit ..."   
  
Remus dealt another card, then one for himself, "I bust." He turned his attention to the window as the light poured in. "Maybe we could do this again some time."  
  
Tonks yawned and slouched down against the pole, "Mmm-hmm, going to bed?"  
  
"Yeah. Suppose I should try to get a few hours in. So should you."  
  
Tonks nodded and yawned again, standing, "I suppose," she seemed to wait for Remus and then shook herself out of her daze, "I'll see you tomorrow, or today, whatever it is ... I'm off of work for a couple of weeks."  
  
"Yeah. I seem to have been given some time off as well." Remus brushed his hand over the blanket of the bed, smoothing over the covers before he stood.  
  
She nodded, "Okay, well ... tomorrow then." Tonks caught herself staring again, "Have a good sleep." She turned and walked out, leaving the door open a little after her. A second later, the sound of her door closing echoed down the hall.  
  
Remus moved over to the closet and began to sift through the closed that lined the floor, he found the blue shirt. Taking it up he left the room, turning off the lights and returning to his own room. In bed, he put the shirt over a pillow and laid his head upon it. Breathing in slow and deep. "Miss you." He whispered to the pillow. 

 

*               *               *  
  

The next morning, Tonks's door was open. She had a muggle telephone hooked up to a temporary, conjured muggle phone jack and a smuggled in telephone book was open on the bed. "Hi ... this is British records service calling, is this Mr. Gerald Tonks? Yes, good. Well ... we've lost the records of a Ted Tonks in a fire and we need to re-estab ... never heard of him? You're sure that you don't know of anyone by that ... yes, thank you, goodbye." She hung up and crossed a name out.

Remus woke up just before eleven and returned to his routine of sitting by the window and looking out upon the day.  
  
She surveyed the phone book, heavy with crossed out names, and closed it, standing and walking to stretch a little. The girl was wearing the same clothes she had been yesterday, and didn't seem to care. Her first stop was Remus's room, "Remus?" She knocked on the door softly.  
  
Remus didn't feel much like getting up, he wasn't sure he felt much like guests either, and yet still, "It's open" he said clearly.

Tonks stuck her head in the door, slowly, "Hey ... " She walked in, shutting the door behind her, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed closest to Remus. "Did you sleep?"

"Some. You?" Remus didn't tear his gaze from the tree that his room overlooked. 

"Some. Harry hasn't stuck his head in here, has he? He's supposed to leave for Surrey soon ..."

"No, he hasn't."

"Have you eaten?"

_Once upon a time ..._ Remus shook his head, no. He pulled the quilt from his bed tighter around his shoulders. He wasn't cold, hardly. It was just the closest thing to a hug that he could get.  
  
Tonk's face looked outright pained, "I can bring something up ... if you don't want to go sit with everyone downstairs, that is ... I think it's almost time for lunch."

Remus took a deep breath, "You don't have to." Wind blew through the trees ... wind was a powerful force of nature, and yet the trees remained, though shaken, they remained strong. "I should go down, see Harry off anyway."

"I should too. Would you mind company?"  
  
"I don't mind." Remus stood, casting off the quilt onto his chair before leading them down. Before graduating, their peers had assigned titles to their fellow students, _"most likely to succeed" - "most likely to be a self made billionaire" - "most likely to never to be heard from again" - "most likely to return as a professor"_ and so on ... who could have possibly imagined. That Remus, of the four marauders, was most likely to be the sole survivor. Peter didn't count. In his heart, Peter was already dead to him.  
  
Tonks followed him, just behind, like a shadow or a devoted, if not somber puppy. They said goodbye to Harry, who seemed numb. Tonks cried and had to escape into the bathroom for half an hour after Harry left. The house, now without most of it's occupants, was far, far too quiet.  
  
Once in a room, Remus didn't leave it. Or at least, once down stairs, he would not return back up until the end of the day. He headed out into the back yard. It was a grey day. Grey like Sirius's eyes. Never a break. Remus walked a good distance away from the house and laid out on the grass, looking up at the sky, watching objects move directly overhead. Clouds, birds, branches. He had his hands behind his head, which caused his shirt to ride up a little, exposing just a ribbon of his werewolf torn stomach.

Tonks sat on the steps of the house, watching him with her head tilted back against the door as she turned the bracelet around and around and around her small wrist. _Tell him, tell him, tell him._

Remus had to close his eyes after a while, the wind was causing his eyes to go dry and tear. But even with his eyes closed, tears still managed to escape. At least no one was around.

"Remus?" Tonks was standing beside him, staring off into the trees, arms crossed over her chest. Her voice sounded thin, it was shaking.

Remus sat up, almost violently, turning away at first, wiping his eyes as he gasped, "Yes?"

She turned, swallowing and then spreading her hands, "Oh ... no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, you were sleeping and I-" She sighed heavily, looking away again, speaking as though she was making herself say the words. "I ... have something I should tell you."

Remus's eyes were dry now, but red, and salty streams lined his face of where tears had been shed. He looked up to her and patted the grass next to him, "Alright, what is it Tonks?"

She sat, wordless, staring at him, eyes travelling where she wished she could let her fingers touch, down his cheekbones, to his jaw. "Alright ..." she sighed, looking away. "This is probably going to come as a shock ... it's a shock to me, to-" she laughed softly, "say the least. I'm not ... proud of it, I wanted to tell you so many times, but there's just never been a good time, but now I ... seeing you like this reminds me that there's never going to be a good time for ... this."

Remus looked to her, listening quietly, watching every detail of her mannerisms, listening to the tone of her voice. He blinked, with such a disclaimer, it must be something huge, "It's alright, go on."

She sighed, rubbing her face, "It's going to sound crazy ... I know ... It sounds crazy to me, christ ..."  
  
Remus only knew to be patient, and looked to her, offering that hint of hope, of courage, "Take your time Nymphadora."  
  
"No, I mean ... really REALLY crazy ... " The young woman fidgeted, lips quirking to the side, eyes seeming darker, turbulent. "Okay ..." She took a deep breath, "Remus ... something ... happened that night at the Ministry."

Remus's stomach turned over on itself, "Yes ..."

Tonks swallowed, the wind blew her dark, straight hair a little over her face. "I know ... what you saw ... I know what you thought you saw ... but it wasn't that simple. Something happened that I didn't have any control over, and someone died as a result."

Remus shook his head, "Oh- oh no, it wasn't your fault Nymphadora, please, don't blame yourself."

She flinched, "Remus ... please, don't call me Nymphadora ..."

"Sorry-" he swallowed.

It took a few deep, deep breaths, "Sirius isn't dead ... not the way you think he is."

Remus found himself staring at the blades of grass, _sure, he's in the heart of us all who remember him ..._

"And ... I'm not ... Tonks."

Remus looked up, frowning, if not defensive. "...?"

She was fighting off fresh tears, pushing hair out of her face, frustrated, as she looked at Remus, unable to explain. Such things were too small for language. "Remus ... she ... did something."

Remus's back went rigid, he could overpower this person easy, but still he looked to the house, only twenty strides away ... paranoia filled Remus, he didn't know what to think about Tonks talking about herself in third person, let alone the possibility that it really wasn't her. "Who are you." he asked dangerously.

She touched Remus's hand, "Remus, she gave me a bracelet, it was knotted. You were sitting by the fire, helping Harry and Ron at chess. Tonks came over and tied a bracelet onto my wrist and I said she must be tagging me like the environmentalists tag seals and she just shook her head and all she said was _just in case_. I didn't even think about it again, until ... " Tonks gasped another deep breath and plunged into explanation, frantic, tears leaking from her eyes, "I was there, in the room, Bella aimed at me and then ... then I saw myself fall. I saw myself fall."

Remus lunged at Tonks, pinning her to the grass, eyes clouded over as tears streamed down his face at the cruel joke at his expense, "No- no no! Stop this- tell me-! Stop this- it's not- is it- is it?!"

"REMUS! IT'S ME! I WOKE up like this in the HOSPITAL! I'm not kidding, I'm not kidding, Remus, I'd never joke about this ... not about this ..." Tonks's eyes teared over as well, leaking into the grass. "She's dead. She's dead and I'm not. It's my fault!"

Remus scooped up the Tonks-Sirius hybrid into his arms, clutching her to his chest. Sobbing into her shoulder, he mourned Tonks, surely- but to have Sirius back ...

Sirius slid his arms around Remus, shaking hard, crying into his chest. "I woke up ... and I knew what the bracelet was then ... a charm."

This would all probably have to be explained to Remus again at another time when he could focus on such things, but for now his only world had been _Sirius Black, dead_ \- now it was, _Sirius Black, alive._

She stroked a hand through Remus's hair again, feeling the strands with his new, smaller hands, weeping, "Remus, I'm so sorry, so sorry ... " Remus felt different now, larger, stronger in comparison to this fragile new body. "I didn't mean to, I didn't know how to tell you, I never want you to mourn me ... it's ... horrific, Remus, love, Remus."

Remus knew in his heart, so many ways that the person he held in his arms was indeed Sirius. For one, he wept, if it had been anyone else, truly, he would have held it in, hidden away until he was alone. But something in his heart, in his animalistic nature knew, could see through the flesh and see the spirit.   
  
"Remus ..." Sirius pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Remus rocked Sirius in his arms, his eyes wide and features pale. "Sirius-" he finally managed to breathe. He had ONLY just started to come to terms with his death ... somehow, life, the prospect of life was harder.  
  
"Remus, I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry ..." He hugged Remus has hard as he could with his thin arms, face in Remus's neck. It had been torture to watch Remus, not to touch or hug him, not to just blurt it all out at the dinner table that night.

Someone could have chopped his hand off and Remus might not have noticed; his mind was in shock, and his body desensitized in order to protect him from the whirlwind of emotions. His head pressed against Sirius's shoulder, now smaller and bonier than he was used to.

Sirius rubbed Remus's strong back with his now smaller hands, "Breathe, breathe Remus ..." he smiled a little before whispering, "It's okay, it's still me, I'm here. I know I sound different, but it's me, it's me."

"I thought I lost you ... forever ..." _That I was the last, alone._

Sirius shook his head, "No, still here, still yours ... I swear, I'm not going anywhere, love." He kissed Remus's cheek gently, stroking his hair as Remus held him close, "I'm still here, I'm safe. Your Padfoot."

Remus just hugged his companion, tightly, no matter what his body looked like - from their youthful days, when he was fit - to when he was a day free from Azkaban, half starved - to now, as a woman - no matter - he was still Sirius. And still, that was not the shock that had him brain dead. _Alive ... alivealive ... A L I V E ..._ "Oh ... oh ... Sirius ..."

"I'm sorry I scared you, love ... I'm here, I love you, always love you."

"I- I don't know ... what to ..." _do, say ... think._

Sirius shook his head, "Anything you want, it's a ... shock, I know, I tried to come up with a better way to tell you, but I couldn't put you through it a second longer, I'm sorry ... It's really me, I know it's hard to believe, but it is. That wasn't me falling, it was just my body, I'm still here." He let out a long, long sigh, _she's dead. She's dead and I'm ... happy._

Remus, shakily got up to his knees before Sirius on the grass. He held his hands in his, bowing over his back, "Thank you-" he muttered, "thank you, thank you-" but he wasn't speaking to Sirius, he was ... he was praying, to Tonks.  
  
Sirius swallowed again, Remus's almost violent relief was somehow ... harder to watch than his mourning. Sirius kissed Remus's cheek, "Remus ... I'm here, I'm not leaving you. I missed you so much."

Remus and Sirius had had something ... they never labelled it before - and Remus had felt tremendous guilt having never said the exact words - and was to find speaking to Sirius's empty grave just as hollow. "I love you." Remus said at last, before it was too late, and he never had the opportunity to again.  
  
Sirius pulled back and looked at him, at his lips, then his blue eyes. _He means it_. Sirius had convinced himself that he didn't need to hear it, that it was just words and it made no difference to him but the resurrected pureblood felt his throat tighten and his head spin a little. _Remus ..._ Sirius kissed his cheek again, very, very, very gently as large, stinging tears rolled down his new face, "I love you too," he whispered against Remus's skin.

"I-" he wept, "should have told you every single day."

"It's okay ..." Sirius kissed his face over and over, softly, feeling his hands shake in Remus's hair, "I love you too, I always did ..." He sniffed and laughed a little through tears, "We were so ... fucking stupid ..."

Remus looked to Sirius, his eyes red from days and days of tears. "..but no more." and the werewolf kissed his love, knowing that it would always be his sprit, and not his body that he loved

Sirius hummed in surprise, body stiffening before he relaxed a little, small, thin fingers curling in Remus's hair and Sirius kissed the man he loved again with a new mouth, second first kiss. They'd been together, but even before he was sent to Azkaban, they'd always held back a little with each other, both men afraid to trust, afraid to be hurt again in their eventful lives. After he escaped, it was even harder between them ... Remus always too cautious with Sirius's consent, his mental state to let go around him anymore, and Sirius often distant, withdrawn for days on end. But now ... 

Their lips locked again, and Sirius moaned quietly, Remus had never kissed him like this before, not with such open, artless need, and Sirius trembled in his arms.

The kiss turned Remus's brain back on. And it set itself hard at work to everything it should have been thinking on before. Firstly, they would tell no one. It would be too complicated, and everyone could use something simple in their lives - love - the most complex and powerful magic in all the world, was now dwindled down to something simple. They could be happy like this, they'd make it work - Remus - abandoning all reserve drew Sirius tightly into his arms with the force that promised he'd never let go. "Love you-" he confessed again, "we'll ... we will be alright." 

Sirius couldn't reply, there were no words large enough to say what he felt, so he just nodded, kissing Remus again, cupping his unshaven jaw with small hands, cradling his beloved face as they kissed under a darkening sky.

**Author's Note:**

> co-authored. originally written for thestralskinphoenixtears


End file.
